Master everything from fundamental techniques to expert finishes.
Starting at £225 per day
Level 1 — Introduction to bronze casting £225 . 1 Day
Pouring waxes and fettling wax pattern
Melting wax safely, use of silicon rubber moulds and fettling and finessing the wax pattern, on this one day course we make an ancient ammonite fossil, starting with a pre-made silicone mould.
Spruing wax pattern and Ceramic Shell
Learn how to create runners and risers called sprues. Wax welding and applying ceramic shell.
Bronze Pour and removing ceramic shell
We have several furnaces that each perfom specific tasks. Our small tilt furnace is specially designed for schools and colleges and is so safe it is possible to do a pour from a seated postion.
Chasing and Patination
Remove sprues using an angle grinder and applying a selection of chemicals to give the perfect finish. We will mount your finished cast on a base and you can take it home, to keep.
Level 2 — Beginner £900 4 days
Direct wax sculpting
This is four day course, held over two weekends. Or Separate weekdays over two weeks, if specially arranged. A more detailed, involved and hands on course delving into the basics of bronze casting.
Learn how to safely work with specialist casting wax. Sculpt a small artwork of your own design and prepare it for casting,
Sprueing
Learn how to hand roll, runners and risers and the delicate art of wax welding in order to set up your object for ceramic shell.
The secrets of sprue design are a very specialised skill, perfected over many years. Neil will share his unique style developed over 25 years.
Ceramic shell and casting
Perform the first coats of ceramic shell, before leaving the final coats for us to complete during the week. In the second week, we will dewax fire and pour your piece.
Metal Work and Patina
Learn in more detail the process of chasing using hand tools and power tools to remove the metal sprues and make your piece perfect for patination.
There are a selection of chemicals to apply to the bronze, which will add character and age to your piece. The process of patination is an artform very akin to alchemy.
Level 3 — Private Lessons 10 days £2,500
Design and Ideate
The course is designed to allow you to experiment freely, pick up some background tips, have constant support throughout the creation of a larger artwork.
Initially we will take a field trip, to one of the beautiful locations in the area, at Kew bridge, including Kew Gardens, Richmond Park, The river Thames and the London Museum of Water and Steam, with sketchbooks and cameras, to a chosen location to collect information and enjoy some drawing out En Plein Air.
Working From Drawings
Without time constraints, I will help you extrapolate your drawings and photos, into a 3 dimensional sculpture in clay or wax.
Mouldmaking
Once you have created your master sculpture or design, we will make a silicone rubber mould of it. Learn how to paint wax into it, fettle the mould parting, lines, and prepare it for spruing, making a hollow wax copy of your original artwork.
Casting
The rest of the processes, as listed in previous courses, will be followed. But with many different variations, due to the larger format of your sculpture. This will be a much more in depth and specific look into the nuances of casting complex artworks in bronze.
